GENERAL NEWS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 55, 26 August 1911, Page 6

GENERAL NEWS

For a brutal assault on a woman at 1 Prahran (Victoria) last week, Frank i Power was sentenced to six months' imprisonment. The man went to the house | drunk, knocked the woman down, kicked her in the face, set her hair on fire, and threatened to stab her. The introduction of liquor at local University functions (says the Otago Daily Times) is a matter that in past years has frequently engaged the attention of the more serious-minded students. As the result of its abuse on certain occasions stringent motion have been passed by the executive oi the Students' Association, not without opposition, absolutely forbidding it at any function under the control of the Association. This is a regulation that has always been found peculiarly difficult to enforce, though it was strictly carried out on at ieast one occasion some years ago when a party of students resorted to picketing the theatre and watching every entrance for a whole day. It is rumored that the regulation was broken at the carnival held this month, and that results followed that have led certain of the students to the determination to carry the matter further. It seems certain tliat more will be heard of it, and a thorough investigation of the allegations made may possibly be the outcome. The award of the King, who has arbitrated in the dispute regarding the Alsop claim between the United States xnd Chili, was issued a few weeks ago. His Majesty awards £187,000 to the firm of Alsop in full settlement of their claim. The original claim was for £OOO,OOO, with compound interest. Messrs Alsop and Co., of Valpariso, were a Chilian chartered concern consisting of American members. A Brazilian who was in their debt made over to them certain claims which he had obtained from Bolivia, but that State ceded the territories in which the property lay to Chili' after the war of 1879. As Bolivia had t never settled the matter, Messrs Alsop and Co. demanded the support of Washington in pressing its claims against the Chilian Government. It was praetically decided late in 1909 to submit the disput to the Hague Tribunal, but difficulties arose over the terms of reference, j and in November of that year Mr. Knox, the American Secretary of State, delivered an ultimatum. He demanded that [ the Chilian Government should either sign within ten days the protocol submitting the case to the Hague on its merits, or pay to the United States t £200,000. It was decided eventually 1 tliat, instead of going before the Hague

Tribunal, it should be referred to King Edward, and, when his death occurred, to King George.